New
campaign to end discrimination by faith schools
launched (1 September 2008)

Accord,
a new coalition launched today, is calling on
Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls
to stop state-funded faith schools discriminating
against students and teachers on the grounds of
their beliefs. The launch comes on the day that
a law has been brought in allowing religious schools
further to restrict employment on the grounds
of belief. From today discrimination in staffing
will be extended to headteachers in voluntary
controlled schools and to non-teaching staff in
voluntary aided schools.

The
well-attended event drew together representatives
from religious organisations, charities
and teachers union ATL. The founder
members of the coalition and its Chair Rabbi
Dr. Jonathan Romain united to rebut the
claim that faith schools do not in fact
discriminate.

Speaking
at the launch Accord Chair Rabbi Dr Jonathan
Romain said: While the Faith Schools
Providers Group claim that state-funded
religious schools are not discriminatory,
in reality they are allowed to choose both
staff and students according to their beliefs.
We want an educational system that respects
all and disadvantages no one. Faith schools
should be tolerant and transparent.

Mary
Bousted, General Secretary of ATL (also
an Accord founder member) said: We need
schools which embrace the diversity in our
communities, not schools which divide pupils
and staff by faith. All children  regardless
of their religion, culture, and family income
 should have equal access to the best possible
education in a good local school. Allowing
schools to pick and choose pupils is not
the best way to achieve this or to create
young adults with the confidence and personal
skills to live and work in our vibrant multi-cultural
society.

Andrew
Copson, British Humanist Association (BHA)
Director of Education and Public Affairs,
said: The BHA has always approached
the issue of faith schools from a human
rights perspective. Along with other members
of Accord we want all state schools to be
open to children of different backgrounds
so that they can learn with and from each
other

Simon
Barrow, Co-Director of religion and society
think tank said in a message If church
schools are overwhelmingly funded by the
general taxpayer, as they are, then the
public as a whole have a reason to expect
that they will be run for all by all. To
reject discrimination and a narrow approach,
to seek equal opportunities, and to be sensitive
to those of other faiths and none, is no
threat to a Christian ethos;
it is its truest exemplification.

Opinion
polls have repeatedly shown widespread public
opposition to faith schools and campaigners
believe that with such widespread support
their case will be hard for the government
to ignore. A Guardian ICM poll in 2005 found
that 64% of the public agreed that the
government should not be funding faith schools
of any kind.